EFFector - Volume 24, Issue 1 - What is Traitorware?

EFFector - Volume 24, Issue 1 - What is Traitorware?

Technology that acts behind your back to betray your privacy is not a science fiction vision of the future. Digital cameras are embedding metadata into photos, printers are incorporating a secret code into every page they print, and Apple's creepy patent could be used to record your voice, take a picture of your location, or even record your heart beat. Traitorware secretly spies on you and gives your personal data away to a third party.

Adult publisher Perfect 10 is trying to squelch fair use of copyrighted materials by Chilling Effects -- and EFF is fighting back. The online intellectual property resource Chilling Effects gathers and analyzes legal notices alleging online copyright infringement -- a vital resource for public education and study. But adult publisher Perfect 10 alleges that Google is infringing on copyright by sharing its notices. EFF joined other founders and participants in the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse in filing an amicus brief to urge the court to reject this attempt to block Google's contribution to the site.

Wikileaks isn't the only site struggling because service providers are pulling their support. It appears that at least one person who wants to provide mirror access to Wikileaks documents is having the same trouble. EFF was contacted by a user who mirrored Cablegate documents on his website -- only to have his hosting provider, SiteGround, suspend his account. SiteGround explained the decision by claiming they were worried about potential DDOS attacks. That's right: they cut off his service for a hypothetical future event.

Genachowski Wins on Net Neutrality, Sort of
After a down-to-the-wire push, the Federal Communications Commission approved its long-awaited regulatory proposal on net neutrality -- and, despite good intentions, we may up with a lose/lose situation.

New EFF Member Cards
EFF is introducing new annual membership levels and benefits -- so there's never been a better time to show your commitment to online civil liberties.

2010 Year In Review

Last January, EFF staff made a dozen predictions about what the coming year would bring for law, technology, free speech, privacy, and intellectual property. At the close of 2010, our staff revisited each of these predictions and analyzed how close our prognostications were to what really occurred over the course of the year. In some cases we were right -- and in other cases, there was just no way to predict what happened in 2010. Check out the 12 trends we identified:

1. Attacks on Cryptography
Our predictions on this front were solid -- technology researchers in 2010 showed the many ways that encrypted communications aren't as safe as users expect.

2. Books and Newspapers
Copyright troll Righthaven lurched down the RIAA's dark
path by launching hundreds of lawsuits against individual
bloggers, while iPad entered into the fray of digital
books.

3. Global Internet CensorshipBig media corporations are pushing the government to adopt
website blacklists, and the backlash to Wikileaks show how
informal government pressure can shut down free speech.

4. Hardware Hacking
Jailbreaking has become more mainstream and the court found that violations of license agreements do not always amount to copyright infringement -- so a good year for hardware hacking indeed!

5. Location Privacy
EFF brought home two major court victories that strengthened your rights against location tracking by the government.

6. Net Neutrality
The FCC approved a final set of regulations concerning net
neutrality -- which may have some worrisome loopholes and
exemptions.

7. Online Video
Consumer interests are overshadowed by the goals of media corporations that want to perpetuate DRM both online and off.

8. Congress
It's no surprise that civil liberties faced a tough year on the Hill, but the COICA Internet censorship bill is bad legislation we couldn't have predicted.

9. Social Networking Privacy
It was a watershed year for social networking privacy -- with Facebook igniting controversy with the Instant Personalization and Connections features, and EFF responding with our Social Network Users' Bill of Rights.

10. Three Strikes
IP rightsholders and global policy-makers have realized that Three Strikes automatic disconnection laws and policies are a short-term measure, and are now focusing their efforts on Internet intermediary obligations to block webpages.

11. Fair Use of Trademarks
Activists, parodists, and online content creators continue to fight for their rights to fair use against improper trademark threats.

Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. Signed articles do not necessarily represent
the views of EFF. To reproduce signed articles
individually, please contact the authors for their
express permission.

Press releases and EFF announcements & articles may be
reproduced individually at will.

EFF joins FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in
Education), and the First Amendment Project for this event.
You'll find drink specials including $3 beers, $4 glasses of
wine, and $5 mixed drinks. There will also be complimentary
hors d'oeuvres!
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: January 13, 2011

Join EFF at BSidesSanFrancisco! Security B-Sides is a
community driven unconference built for and by information
security community members. It is an intense event with
discussions, demos and interaction from participants.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: February 13, 2011